A Storm of Circumstance
by Khyharah
Summary: It was supposed to be quick. In and Out. But when has anything ever gone right for Hermione Granger? First Place Best Plot Development for Hermione's Haven #Roll-A-Prompt 2018


The storm raged outside and all Hermione could think was _How the fuck did this happen?_

It was supposed to be simple. Get in, find the artifact, get out. She didn't even have to interact with anyone. And now she was stuck.

The manor was supposed to be empty so chance of getting caught or any danger was minimal. But of course, Hermione's luck was running par for the course. She had entered with ease, observing her surroundings in awe. It was weird though. She had a feeling that she wasn't alone, that something was watching her.

Finding the library was easy. The layout of Acadia House was almost the exact same as Malfoy Manor with which Hermione was, unfortunately, intimately familiar with. At the least the bottom floor. Resisting the urge to start perusing the books, Hermione had made her way to the large oak desk and almost immediately found what she was looking for. It was bronze statue of Imhotep that Bill had been searching for after the latest expedition to Egypt.

Thunder and lightning from the storm crashed so loudly, Hermione jumped and spun, wand at the ready. From the corner of her eye, she could see smoke billowing from the edge of the window. She went over and could see the bottom corner of the building had been damaged. Biting her lip, she made a quick decision to grab the statue and run.

Except the door wouldn't open.

Hermione pushed and pulled, cast _alohomora_ and several other unlocking spells. There was no lock to pick nor anything obvious keeping the door shut. She went back to the library and tried the windows with no success. Not even the floo worked. The next step was apparition and it was a no go, not that she expected it to. She sighed heavily. _Well, nothing for it._ She would have to wait out the night. Bill knew where she was and would sure come looking for her in the morning when she hadn't returned.

Satisfied in her decision, she lit one of the beautiful candelabras on the desk in the library and began to peruse the books. There were all kinds from housekeeping to ancient runes and dark magics. There was even an entire bookcase filled with muggle literature. Hermione was honestly quite shocked by this considering whose home she was in. It was a Malfoy property, one seized by the Ministry ten years ago upon the imprisonment of Lucius and house arrest of both Narcissa and Draco. Though the house arrest terms were complete, Lucius would never leave Azkaban and the property was still in possession of the Ministry.

She reached for one of the books on the dark arts shelf, a tome that she had been looking for, but supposedly there were only two copies left in the world. Now one was in front of her and she could not resist.

 _I wouldn't do that if I were you._

The voice sounded throughout the library. It was deep and rough as if it hadn't been used in a while. Hermione spun, almost snuffing the candles in the slight breeze. Her wand was out, pointing vaguely in front of her.

 _Put that away, I'm not going to hurt you. Though I would ask why you feel you can pilfer my favorite statue from my home?_

Hermione blinked several times before sweeping her gaze around the room. _Qui revelare_ she whispered, but to no avail. There were no other people in the room or surrounding areas.

 _You won't find me unless I wish to be found, little one. Now, if you please, answer my question._

With a shaky breath, Hermione answered, though it was extremely odd to answer a person she could not see. "This property is owned by the Ministry of Magic. I have been sent by officials there and from St. Mungo's and Gringotts bank to retrieve an artifact. I have found the item, but find myself unable to leave the premises because a bolt of lightning struck the building. I'm afraid the wards have been compromised and I will have to wait for my partner to realize I am missing and come to help me out."

 _Hmmm, indeed._

The baritone of his voice reminded her of days past when it was directed at her through a veil of potion steam and ridicule. She smiled a bit sadly in remembrance of the brave potions master, but quickly shook it off. "May I ask who you are? This place is supposed to be empty, the owner having passed on years ago, 20 if I'm not mistaken." The voice chuckled, an oddly dark and delicious sound.

 _I am the master of this home. I have not passed, I merely value my privacy very, very much. I let assumptions be made for my own benefit._

Hermione smirked. "So a Slytherin through and through." The voice chuckled again, this time sending a pleasurable shiver up her spine. She tried to envision the man behind the voice, but with only a vague recollection of a portrait glimpsed during her one visit to Malfoy Manor, she couldn't imagine it. "Well, I suppose I should give you fair warning. The property was claimed by the Ministry after Lucius went to Azkaban. Neither his wife nor his son had any interest in it. There has been talk of tearing it down or making it into an orphanage, but nothing concrete at this time. If you would like to keep your home, you might have to make a bid for it." The voice was silent for several moments, contemplating her revelation.

 _I suppose so. Thank you for that. Now, what would you have in return?_

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Return? No, nothing in return. I did not tell you because I wanted something. I told you because this, apparently, is your home. You should have some kind of warning if you want to keep it as it is."

 _So there is nothing you want? Money, books, a betrothal to my wayward grandson?_

The laugh that erupted from Hermione's lips was one of genuine mirth. Betrothal? To Draco Malfoy of all people? The idea was preposterous. "Oh Merlin, no! I grew up with that prat and trust me, the mere idea of us being a match is so ludicrous it's… I don't even have a comparison. Besides, he's happily married to that lovely Greengrass girl and they have a little boy. Scorpius I believe. Cute thing, really." She chuckled a moment longer before sighing deeply. "No, no ulterior motives. Though I wouldn't argue with a spot of dinner. A sandwich or something. Lunch was a good," she glanced at her watch, "seven hours ago. My stomach shall be talking soon."

 _I suppose that could be arranged._

"Thank you. You know, I wasn't expecting such a… well I can't say warm welcome, but it was most certainly friendlier than I thought it would be." She smiled to herself as she continued her perusal of the shelves. When she had made her way back to the large desk, she sat in the comfy leather chair behind it. "I fully expected to be ejected from the bottom step of the portico considering what I am and where I am treading."

 _Oh?_

The voice seemed a little closer now, though she didn't know how that would be possible. "Well, yes of course. The Malfoy's are blood purists. I am everything they stand against. And, no offense because you are obviously a Malfoy, but I half expected something extremely painful denying me access to the home." And she honestly had. What Malfoy in their right mind would willingly allow a "mudblood" on their property?

"But then, I would be denied your lovely company."

Hermione screamed as this time the voice sounded directly in her ear. She flew from the chair, spinning with her wand out. What she found surprised her. Where she had been expecting an older Lucius Malfoy, probably a little more haggard and worn, she found a stately man. He was tall, broad shouldered and lean with a trim waist. He wore a button up shirt in dark blue topped with a dark grey, pinstriped waistcoat and pants to match. He wore no tie leaving his collar slightly open and his sleeves were rolled up. His hair was longer, probably the only similarity to Lucius, but a much darker shade of blond, more of a dirty blond. His features weren't as pointed as his son and grandson, they must have gotten that from his wife. And his eyes. They were deep set and blue, so very blue like nothing she had ever seen. Not pale or dark, but a perfect in between.

Those eyes were studying her and she suddenly felt self-conscious. She knew her hair had to be a mess by this point and the minimal amount of makeup she had put on this morning was completely gone. Her jeans and snug t-shirt were covered by an open robe which she started unconsciously smoothing down. A delicate, slightly pale hand entered her field of vision as she heard the slight clink of a tray laying on the desk.

"Abraxas Malfoy, at your service."

He reached for her left hand, pulling it gently to his lips. Her breath hitches as he gave it a gentle kiss. Shaking her head, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Hermione Granger."

A smile graced the stately man's face. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." Hermione's cheeks flared briefly. "Here, the elves always prepare too much for us to eat, so there's plenty."

Hermione flinched briefly at the mention of house elves. It had taken a while, but she had eventually come to terms with the fact that the elves like the work and being bound was a necessity. There were those who treated them right and that's what mattered. She looked at the tray on the desk in shock. She had expected maybe some sandwiches or something. But what she got was a full roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, and glazed rainbow carrots. Her mouth instantly watered, but she hesitated a moment.

Abraxas seemed to notice her uncertainty and gave her a very disarming smile. "No worries, little one. I have already eaten and this is truly just a small part of what was left. The rest will be sent to the shelter in Devizes. That's usually what happens anyway, they'll just be one portion shorter this evening."

Hermione smiled at him. "Thank you then." She resumed her seat pulled the tray closer to her as Abraxas made his way around the desk to the loveseat in front of it, lighting the large fireplace in the wall to the left. Hermione involuntarily moaned as the flavors of her meal exploded in her mouth, making the man shift in his seat. "This is… absolutely divine." She complimented. "Your elves have a great talent."

Abraxas merely chuckled. "Thank you. They do have a certain flare, though sometimes they like to experiment, much to the detriment of my palate and stomach."

Hermione smiled at that, nodding. "Yes, well some people's talents lie far outside the kitchen, no matter how much they wish they didn't."

Abraxas raised his eyebrows. "Oh? So am I to assume you are not much for cooking?"

Hermione's laugh was boisterous as she explained to him her many mishaps in the kitchen over the years, beginning with the disasters when she was on the run with Harry and Ron. He in turn shared some of the catastrophes from the elves experimentation and the one time Abraxas himself had tried to cook. Hermione eventually moved to the loveseat when Abraxas offered a glass of after dinner wine. Over the next few hours as the storm raged outside, they shared stories of cooking disasters and botched potions. They spoke of friends and family, how life was growing up in a purely muggle and purely magical home.

Abraxas explained how he had turned away from his family's belief in purity after witnessing the mania that Tom Riddle seemed to revel in. Abraxas honestly wanted no part in that. As he got older, he realized that while they were at a disadvantage not having grown up with any kind of magical education, being muggle-born did not make them any less than being pure-blood. Unfortunately it was too late to change the mind of his son who had already moved out of his home and hard started his own family.

"Lucius was always stubborn. After Tom fell, it just solidified that changing my ideals was the right idea. A muggle-born witch became the downfall of a man that was supposedly the most powerful the wizarding world had seen since Albus Dumbledore. I tried talking to my son, but it was pointless. Eventually, I isolated myself."

Hermione studied the man before her. He had spoken easily with her, no hesitation at all. He laughed at her stories and matched her academic arguments. Nothing felt forced or tense. It was refreshing to have a conversation that was not solely based on quidditch or the current goings on at the ministry. Just good conversation between people getting to know each other.

"I can understand avoiding pointless conversations. Harry and Ron, bless their hearts, are good for a laugh or an occasional pint, but at the end of the day, they never listen to what I say until after they mess up and I have to save their arses."

Abraxas chuckled and patted her hand with sympathy, leaving it there. "Well, there's always those few peoples in our lives that challenge us. We need those people I suppose. They keep us on our toes."

"Or just drive us completely round the bend." Hermione could feel the warm of his hand on hers on the back of the loveseat and relished it. It had been so long since someone had touched her in any kind of intimate manner. The brief hugs and cheek kisses when she saw the boys or the Weasley family didn't count.

They fell into a brief silence. Abraxas' blue eyes never left her face as her eyes became unfocused in thought. It had been so long for him as well. While his isolation was intentional, there were times he missed this. The fact that his current company was a beautiful woman, a great conversationalist, and intelligent was a very large bonus.

"Well, I suppose we're stuck here tonight." She said, eyeing him.

"Yes, it would seem so. The keystone was hit and I cannot access it to fix it without getting outside. Once your partner gets here, I can instruct him on what to do. He should be able to at least get me out so I can reset the wards." Abraxas paused for a moment. "I do hope that this… incident would not deter you from a return visit. I find myself intrigued by your company and would most certainly appreciate it."

Hermione's grin was enough to light the room by itself. "I suppose I could do that. There is so much more here I would like to explore."

Abraxas smiled and rose from his seat. "Come, I will show you to a room so you can rest." He extended his hand which she clasped and rose to her feet as well. Tucking it into the crook of his elbow, he led her through the door and up a flight of stairs. He went down a wide corridor, stopping seemingly at random before a dark brown door. "Here we are," he stated as he swung open the door. The room was decorated in pale blue with maple furniture scattered about. He showed her the attached bath and bid her to use anything she liked. "I'm right at the end of the hall. If you need anything all, please do not hesitate."

They walked back to the door and he paused. "I was being sincere, Hermione. I want to see you again. There is so much more to learn and explore about each other." He stroked her cheek gently, using his forefinger to bring her face up slightly. Dipping his face slowly, giving her time to back away (which of course she wasn't going to do at all), he glanced his lips over hers once and then again before settling them firmly against hers, stealing her breath and her sanity all at once.

Hermione placed her hands on his chest, enthusiastically returning the kiss. It didn't go further than that, no full on snog, but it was the most intimate and passionate kiss she had ever received. Abraxas broke away and gazed at her, stroking her cheek. "So, is that a yes?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Hermione smiled and nodded, whispering "Yes". He gave her once more gentle kiss before bidding her goodnight.

Hermione slept well that night. When she awoke, there was a breakfast tray by the bed with a note stating that Bill had arrived and they were working on getting the manor to reopen. By the time she finished and washed up, they had succeeded. Hermione met Bill and Abraxas in the entrance hall and after Bill was reassured that she was okay, he bid them farewell.

"Come tomorrow for dinner, please?" His voice was fearful as though he felt she would reject him. "I will be contacting my son and then the ministry to make sure everything is straightened out. I will want some time to relax after that."

Hermione just smiled. "Of course."

Abraxas nodded and led her to the front door. She turned to him, caressing his cheek. "See you soon, Abraxas." He smiled and kissed the palm of her hand and then pulled her forward to kiss her lips. She smiled into it before breaking away and walking down the portico. With one more look behind her, she twisted and disapparated to her home. Life was most certainly not going to be boring any more.


End file.
